Jean St-Gelais

Jean St-Gelais is an inspiring and esteemed business leader with vast experience of financial markets. He has occupied strategic positions in the public and private sectors and thus had a hand in many of the major transformations that have made Québec what it is today.

Currently he is Chair of Beneva Group and its subsidiaries’ Boards of Directors and Board Chair of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Economic Science from Université Laval.

In the course of his career, he has been President and CEO of La Capitale, Agence du revenu du Québec, and Autorité des marchés financiers. He also served as Secretary General and Clerk of the Government of Québec’s Conseil exécutif and as Associate Deputy Minister of Tax Policy, Budgetary Policy and Financial Institutions. He chaired Université Laval’s Board of Directors through the critical period of the pandemic as well as the board of Investissement Québec.

His ability and vision have put him to work on such major issues as the implementation of a strategy to fight tax evasion, oil exploration on Île d’Anticosti, and the closure of the Gentilly nuclear power plant. He also helped negotiate the historic Paix des Braves agreement with the Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee.

Under his leadership, key societal transformations have occurred that have benefitted everyone. And in business he was among the brokers of one of the largest corporate mergers in Canadian history, when La Capitale and SSQ Insurance joined together to form Beneva.

Jean St-Gelais’s contributions have earned him many honours, such as the Prix Hommage from Institut d’administration publique du Québec in 2015. In 2020 he was honoured for his community engagement with the City of Québec Medal in the Business category. In 2022 he was made an Officer of Ordre national du Québec and inducted into Académie des Grands Québécois by the Québec City Chamber of Commerce and Industry as a “Great Quebecer” in the business category.

Université Laval awards an Honorary Doctorate to Jean St-Gelais in recognition of his exemplary career, his commitment to the community and his meritorious service.